Brooks, a manufacturer of athletic shoes, has developed and is using a material they call BioMoGo. BioMoGo can biodegrade in roughly 20 years when placed in the landfill. In a true earth-loving gesture, Brooks has made the formula available for other shoe manufacturers instead of patenting the process. By using BioMoGo in its shoes, Brooks estimates that it will save nearly 30 million pounds of landfill waste over a 20-year period.
Don’t worry, the shoes are made with a special nontoxic additive and don’t biodegrade under normal use. They require specific landfill conditions of low oxygen, adequate moisture, and high microbial load to start the biodegradation. So, as long as your closet doesn’t replicate the conditions in a landfill, your shoes will be safe.
What Makes This Trend Stand Out
- Bio-degrading Materials
- Explore the innovative use of biodegradable materials like Brooks' BioMoGo to create environmentally-friendly products.
- Circular Economy
- Embrace the circular economy model by encouraging the reuse and biodegradability of products, as demonstrated by Brooks' approach to sharing their BioMoGo formula.
- Sustainable Manufacturing
- Adopt sustainable manufacturing practices that prioritize the use of eco-friendly materials and minimize waste generation, inspired by Brooks' commitment to saving landfill waste with BioMoGo.
Sectors Adopting This
- Athletic Footwear
- Incorporate biodegradable materials into athletic footwear designs to offer sustainable options to environmentally-conscious consumers.
- Materials Science
- Advance materials science research and development to create innovative biodegradable materials for various industries, including shoe manufacturing.
- Waste Management
- Develop waste management solutions that promote the biodegradation of specific materials under controlled conditions to reduce landfill waste and environmental impact.
